The line-up for the Galway Arts Festival (July 11th-26th) is very traditional this year; not traditional in the usual sense, but traditional in a way defined by the festival itself over the last 21 years. Again, there's a focus on big, spectacular physical theatre. A new Titanic will be built in front of the audience by a German theatre company. Footsbarn are back with two shows, Don Juan and The Winter's Tale, and from the UK comes the Circus of Horrors, directed by the creator of Archaos, Pierrot Bidon. The Kodo Drummers from Japan will present a spectacle at the beginning of the festival, and this year's Macnas parade will be a Carnival of Fools.

Perhaps the most interesting show on the theatre bill is Pat McCabe's own adaptation of his wonderful novel, The Dead School, directed by Joe O'Byrne, who collaborated with McCabe on Frank Pig Says Hello, long before McCabe was famous. The cast includes Mick Lally and it will be designed by Tom Conroy.

But is festival director, Ted Turton, pushing traditionalism and Western roots too far by programming the Saw Doctors again, as well as one-time Galway crustie, Mike Scott? No matter how wonderful Martin Hayes's fiddling is - and it is really wonderful - is it either wise and creative to programme him in over and over again? The festival hits of the past were shots in the dark, after all.

The Big Day Out features high-profile bands like Pulp, Garbage and Cornershop, however, and Cora Venus Lunny, whose breath-taking performance on the violin won her the RTE Musician of the Future title, plays a lunch-time concert. The visual arts programme includes the work of the American artist, San Francis and new sculpture from Irish artist, Patrick O'Reilly.

For full programme information phone LoCall 1890 575655, or http://www.failte.com/gaf/